


Once In Twenty Lifetimes

by Maz_zello



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mazlek, and some friendship in between, just a bunch of fluff, kinda based on Cardigan by Taylor Swift, not a soulmates fic but if you look closely it kinda is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27378133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maz_zello/pseuds/Maz_zello
Summary: Rami doesn’t play favorites. Only, he does, and his favorite is Joe.
Relationships: Rami Malek/Joe Mazzello
Comments: 9
Kudos: 19
Collections: Two Years of BoRhap 2020 Exchange





	Once In Twenty Lifetimes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laminy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laminy/gifts).



> Aaaah I’m sorry this so late!! But happy birthday @laminy!!!! This is for you!!! I hope you love it!! And I hope you enjoy the little Easter egg I put in there just for you!!

_“And when I felt like I was an old cardigan_  
Under someone's bed  
You put me on and said I was your favorite” 

Rami doesn’t even remember the last time he’s seen Joe. After The Pacific, they tried keeping in touch as much as possible, but they both got very busy with other projects and didn’t see much of each other in recent years. It’s funny really, because they’ve been in the same city at least for some of the last three years, and only met up a handful of times, and that was when Mr. Robot first started filming. After that, everything just got so crazy for Rami, and they drifted more and more apart.

But now, he’s weeks away from going to London to play Freddie Mercury in the new Queen biopic, and he gets a call from Joe, who tells him that he apparently looks a lot like Queen’s bassist John Deacon. That he went to see the producers of the movie in London earlier that year and they just laughed at him, but then a month later he got a call from them asking for an audition tape, and he just found out that he got the role.

Joe is off to London in a few days, but he asks if Rami wants to reconnect before they official start band rehearsals for the movie. Rami still has Mr. Robot filming until the end of August, but he thankfully finds a time the next day.

Rami’s a bit nervous, he’ll admit. He’s never admitted it to anyone, but he had a bit of a crush on Joe during the filming of The Pacific. They had a connection Rami has never felt with anyone else before, but he didn’t know if Joe felt the same way so he stayed quiet about it. He thinks those feelings went away as time went on and they drifted apart, but now that they’re working together again he hopes they don’t come back again. 

He walks into a restaurant they planned to meet at, looking around for his old friend.

“Rami!” he hears, turning to where the voice came from and smiling instantly when he sees Joe waving at him from a booth in the back.

He waves back, and walks towards Joe, who’s already getting out of the booth to greet him.

“Hey, stranger,’ Joe says, opening his arms.

“Hey, Joe,” Rami grins, as he lets Joe pull him into a hug.

He remembers Joe’s hugs from years ago, and he’s happy that they’re just as soft and warm as he remembers.

“It’s so good to see you,” Joe says, letting go of him.

Rami nods, grinning at him. “It’s good to see you.”

They both sit back down, Rami sitting across from him.

“So, how’ve you been?” Joe asks him.

“Busy,” Rami tells him, slightly chuckling. “What about you?”

“Same,” Joe nods. “Especially now that I’ve got some big shoes to fill.”

They’re interrupted when a waitress comes and gets their drink orders. Afterwards, they continue to catch each other up on their lives. Joe asks how Sami, his mom and sister is doing, and in return Rami asks how his family is doing.

Joe tenses up a bit though, which confuses Rami.

“Well, you know. Same old, same old. My parents still have the dance studio. Mary’s a lawyer. John’s a teacher, and he actually just had a kid earlier in the year. And..,” Joe shrugs. “I mean some things definitely could be better, but everything’s ok.”

Rami notices the change in Joe’s face, and regrets asking.

“Are you sure?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Joe nods.

“You know where to find me if you want to talk about it,” Rami tells hims.

“I know. Thank you,” Joe smiles at him.

Rami is relieved that the waitress comes back with their drinks. They also quickly decide what they want to order, and the waitress leaves again. Joe’s a bit quieter, so Rami decides to change the subject.

“So, have you done any research or bass playing yet?” he asks.

Joe’s face lights up a little. “Oh, yeah, a ton. I actually thought my audition would be to play the bass, but it was just to recreate an interview John did.”

Rami looks at him intensely for a moment, before speaking. You know, you really do look like John Deacon.”

“I know!” Joe exclaims. “Have you heard any news about who’s playing the other two?”

“No, not yet,” Rami shakes his head. “But there was someone reading for the part of Brian May at the table read I was at a couple weeks ago who sounded just like Brian. I hope he gets casted. He seemed nice.”

“Did you talk to him at all?” Joe asks. “What’s his name?”

“I did for a bit, yeah. He told me my Freddie accent is very good. I actually skipped one of my lines by accident because the guy sounds so scarily similar to Brian May,” Rami chuckles. “I think his name is William or something along those lines?”

“I’m so excited for this,” Joe smiles. “I can’t wait until we meet them and tease them about how we’ve known each other for eleven years.”

“Joe! That’s mean,” Rami laughs.

Joe shrugs. “Not my fault they didn’t meet you first.”

“We’re not going to make them feel excluded,” Rami tells him.

“Of course not,” Joe says. “We’re just going to make them a little bit jealous!”

“Joe!” Rami exclaims again.

Joe laughs, making Rami smile. This is nice, he thinks. This is how it was back when they were filming The Pacific. When they finished and were still so inseparable they saw each other all the time, even having dinners at each other’s houses with each other’s families. He’s never realized how much he misses Joe, and now he never wants to let him go again.

************ 

Rami doesn’t see Joe again until he’s in London a month later for band rehearsals. They text though, and Joe tells him all about their two new cast-mates.

When Rami first walks into the rehearsal studio, he hears Joe’s laugh immediately. He looks over and sees Joe standing with their other two cast-mates. One is tall and brunette, and the other one is a bit shorter and blonde. The taller one Rami recognizes from the table reading a month before.

“Hey,” Rami calls out to them.

They all turn around, Joe’s face lighting up when he sees Rami.

“Hey, buddy!” Joe exclaims, rushing towards him and nearly knocking him over with a hug.

“Hey, Joe,” Rami chuckles, hugging him back.

Rami hears footsteps coming towards them, and he looks to see the other two boys standing next to them. After a few more moments, he lets go of Joe and goes to introduce himself to the his new cast-mates.

Before Rami can say anything, the blonde one starts talking.

“Finally you’re here, Joe wouldn’t shut up about you,”

Rami’s eyes widen. He looks over at Joe, who has a grin on his face, and if Rami isn’t mistaking, he’s blushing too. He doesn’t even know why he’s surprised to be completely honest, because Joe would tell him about the other boys over text, so it shouldn’t be a shock that he would talk about him to the boys as well.

“Really?” Rami asks, looking over at the blonde one again.

“Really,” the blonde one smirks. “I’m Ben by the way, nice to meet you.”

“Hello, Ben,” Rami smiles at him. “Nice to finally meet you too.”

“I’m Gwilym. But you can call me Gwil,” the taller one says. “I don’t know if you remember me from the table read last month?”

Rami looks over at him, nodding. “Of course I remember you. You sound exactly like Brian May. I’m glad they casted you.”

“Me too,” Gwil grins.

“Hey! What about me?” Joe playfully scoffs.

“I’m glad they casted you too, Joe,” Rami says, turning to face him.

“Good,” Joe winks, putting an arm around Rami. “Because I’m you’re favorite bandmate, right.” 

Rami shakes his head playfully, smiling as he looks over at Gwil and Ben, then back at Joe. “Freddie didn’t have a favorite and neither do I.” 

He hears Gwil and Ben giggle, and from the corner of his eye he sees them look over at each other like there’s a secret they’re not sharing. He’s too busy grinning at Joe’s half offended, half amused face to say anything though.

He means it when he says he doesn’t have a favorite. All of them have become special to him in the following weeks, it’s the closest he’s gotten to any cast in such a short period of time. By the time the first week of filming ends, they feel like they’ve been a band for years. 

Rami’s a bit surprised to see that Ben, the youngest of them, is probably the most mature of the group, and has somehow mastered being very passionate about his work yet not overworking himself. And Gwil’s always there with open arms and a helping hand, which Rami appreciates very much. They’ve both become a breath of fresh air for him whenever he needs it. So has Joe of course, but with him it’s a bit different. 

There’s just something about Joe, the way he makes Rami feel so understood, so warm, so loved. They’ve always had a strong connection, but Rami’s feeling it more on this set. A great thing about knowing someone for a decade is that you get to see them evolve as a person, and Rami’s admiration for his friend has only grown since they reconnected. It’s the way Joe can work a room with ease and take anyone out of their shell, or say a lighthearted joke with the confidence that it’ll cheer somebody up, or pay close attention to the mood of the room when nobody else does and act accordingly. Joe always knows the right things to do and say, and Rami loves him for it. 

They’ve been filming for about a month when he realizes he might still be in love with Joe.

The realization hits one morning, when they’re in the band room they set up, waiting for the director to show. It’s still pretty early, and they haven’t gotten into costumes yet, so Gwil and Ben decide on running to a café nearby and getting them some coffee and pastries. They won’t be gone for long, but Rami thinks about taking a little nap while they wait. He’s been restless lately, and as much as he loves playing Freddie Mercury, there’s nights where he comes back to his flat exhausted. 

He looks around the room, his eyes landing on Joe, who’s sitting on the other couch on his phone. There’s a part of him that wants Joe to join him for a small nap, a little cuddle while they wait for their friends to return. They’ve all cuddled with one another, so it’s a normal thing for them to do. And Joe gives the best cuddles out of all of them. He just wants to bury himself in Joe’s warm embrace and hide away from the stressors of the world for a bit. Even if it’s only for twenty minutes. 

His thoughts are interrupted when Joe notices him looking and snaps him out of his thoughts.

“Rami? Are you ok?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Rami nods. “I’m just a bit tired.” 

“Do you need a nap?” Joe asks. It’s like he can read Rami’s mind sometimes. 

“I might. Don’t know if I have the time though,” Rami shrugs, stretching out his arms as he lets out a yawn. 

“I won’t let anyone wake you up,” Joe smiles at him, putting his phone down next to him. “You can use me as a pillow if you want.”

If Joe sees Rami’s eyes widen for a split second, he doesn’t say anything. Maybe Joe can read his mind. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to have to sit there while I sleep,” Rami says. 

“Of course I’m sure,” Joe smirks, opening his arms. “I could use a nap myself.” 

Rami hopes Joe doesn’t notice the big smile on his face as he gets up and goes over to the other couch, sitting down right next to Joe, who instantly pulls him in. 

“Gwil and Ben are probably going to be back soon,” Rami sighs, moving a bit to rest his head on Joe’s shoulder. 

“They won’t wake you up, don’t worry. Just get some sleep, you deserve it,” Joe tells him, resting his own head on top of Rami’s.

Rami catches himself blushing, as he wraps his arms around the other man. He does deserve it, Joe’s right. He closes his eyes, relaxing a bit as Joe squeezes him tightly. He They fit together, he thinks, as he starts to drift off. Just like a puzzle. Like the universe brought them together on purpose. First time was a test, and this time is the long haul. And that’s when he starts to realize, maybe his feelings for his friend never went away after all. 

************

Rami keeps those feelings to himself, just like he did all those years ago. He doesn’t know what to do, because he doesn’t think Joe feels the same way, but sometimes it’s hard to tell. Joe acts affectionate with all his friends, or at least his closest friends. But sometimes, it really does look like he treats Rami a bit differently. The way he smiles at Rami, or how his voice sometimes gets more soft when it’s just the two of them speaking. It’s little things he notices. 

They all become so incredibly close, and by the time the end of filming comes along, they have a active WhatsApp groupchat and a plan for all of them to meet up at least twice a year. This movie is special, and so is the lasting bond they all built. 

Rami thinks of telling Joe on the last day, after they’re out of hair and costumes and ready to go out to a pub to celebrate just the four of them. But the somber look on Joe’s face as he steps out of his trailer gives Rami the impression that he should wait. Rami’s face turns to a look of concern as he watches his friend walk towards the band room. Today is obviously a sad day, it’s the last day they’re all going to be on set together, and they’re all taking it hard. But Joe seems to be taking it the hardest. It’s a vulnerable time for Joe, and Rami knows that, so he doesn’t want to push. 

Gwil takes notice of Joe’s unusually quiet mood when they’re at the pub. 

“A penny for your thoughts, Joe?” the taller man asks. They’re sitting in a booth at the back, drinking beer and waiting for their fish and chips to come. A real British meal, Joe likes to call it. 

Joe looks up from his beer, shrugging before taking a sip of it. “I’m just thinking about how much I’ll miss all of this.” 

They all smile, nodding their heads in agreement. They’re all going to miss this.

“Aww Joey!” Gwil teases, reaching his hand across the table to playfully ruffle Joe’s hair. “We’ll miss you too.” 

“Hey! I thought I said only Rami can call me that!” Joe says, his face lighting up instantly. 

Rami blushes a little at that, hoping nobody notices. 

Joe’s face falls into a frown again, as he continues to talk. “I just don’t want anything to change between us.” Rami sees Joe look over at him as he says the last word. He furrows his eyebrows at Joe, a pang of guilt in his chest. He suddenly remembers having this conversation with Joe before, a decade ago to be exact. 

“Nothing is going to change between us, Joe,” Gwil reassures him. 

“Yeah, It’s not like we’re all going to outer space or something and you’ll never see or hear from us again,” Ben smirks, making Joe’s face light up a bit with a smile. 

“It would be a bit boring without you there anyways,” Gwil adds, bemused at the idea. 

“He’s right,” Rami starts to say, the attention now all on him.

“Space would be boring compared to being with you.” 

He says it impulsively, without even thinking about it, but it makes Joe’s face light up with a smile, so it’s worth it. He sees Gwil and Ben exchange looks from across the table, but he doesn’t bother asking what that’s about.

“Thanks, I guess?” Joe chuckles. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” 

“Of course it is, Joe. You’re my best friend,” Rami tells him. 

Joe smiles, giving him a knowing look, as if to say “and you’re mine,” 

There’s a moment where they’re just looking at each other, smiling, until Gwil interrupts. 

“See, we aren’t going anywhere, Joe,” Gwil says. “You’re stuck with us.” 

“And we’re stuck with you,” Ben playfully teases. 

Joe’s smile stays on his face, as he looks around the table. “You guys mean a lot to me. Thank you. I love you guys.” 

“We love you too,” they all say in unison. 

“I don’t love the perm jokes though,” Joe says, furrowing his eyebrows at Gwil. “Could live without them.” 

“The perm jokes are staying, sorry buddy,” Gwil shakes his head playfully. 

The rest of their dinner is spent bantering and talking about all the fun they had filming, and of course all the fun they’ll have in the future years to come. Joe’s in a better mood by the end of it, but Rami still doesn’t want to push. So he decides to wait a bit longer. 

************

Rami blinks, and all of a sudden it’s October. He still hasn’t told Joe. It’s been a hectic year for them both, and while they live in the same city and have seen each other quite a bit, there hasn’t been a perfect time yet. He knows he should tell Joe soon, before all the chaos Bohemian Rhapsody will bring begins. 

The premiere for Bohemian Rhapsody is in a day, and they’re all so excited for the world to see their movie. Everything they went through on set is finally paying off. They all decide to go back to that very same pub they would go to just a year ago, to celebrate everything finally kicking off. Ben was absent for most of promo due to the filming of another movie in Italy, but he joins them for the next few days, and Rami is so happy to see that nothing has changed. Joe keeps sneaking soft glances at him the whole night, and Rami hopes nobody sees his smile when it happens.

At one point, Ben steps out for a smoke, and Joe follows, so it’s just him and Gwil left at their booth in the back. 

“So when are you going to tell him?” Gwil asks suddenly, a curious expression on his face.

“Tell who what?” Rami asks, narrowing his eyebrows at the taller man. He has no clue what Gwil is talking about. 

“C’mon, Rami, you can’t fool Ben and I. We’re a band remember,” Gwil smiles at him. “And we have eyes.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rami shrugs, taking a fry from his plate. 

“You and Joe,” Gwil says, grinning like he knows something.

“What about us?” Rami asks, trying to stop himself from smiling like he always does when Joe’s brought up. 

“You like him,” Gwil smirks. “I can see it in your face whenever you look or talk about him.” 

“Is it that obvious?” Rami asks, sighing in defeat. He’s a good actor, he knows that. But they can all read each other like a book at this point. There’s no use in hiding it.

“Well, to us at least,” Gwil shrugs. “You should tell him.” 

“I want to. I just haven’t had the time,” Rami tells him. He frowns a bit. “I don’t even know if I can.” 

“Why not?” Gwil asks.

Rami shrugs. “I don’t know if we would be able to make it work. Or if he even wants me like that.” 

“I think he does. You guys are really obvious, it’s nauseating,” Gwil chuckles. “I had to be the third wheel with you two all this month.” 

“Sorry about that,” Rami laughs.

“That’s alright,” Gwil says, smiling at him. “We just want you two to be happy.”

“Thanks, Gwil,” Rami smiles back. 

“Of course. Just talk to him, there’s no harm in that,” Gwil tells him.

Gwil’s right, on one hand. But on the other hand, Joe might not even feel the same way. And they’ll still need to figure out how they’re going to balance being in a relationship and their careers. He can’t lose Joe. So if being friends is what will keep them together then so be it, he can’t mess that up. 

A few moments later, Joe and Ben come back, and they go back to their usual chatter. Rami keeps noticing Joe looking at him, and he hopes Joe notices that he’s doing the same thing. 

Before they pay, they order shots and toast to Queen, Freddie, and each other. When they’re done, they all decide on going back to their hotel, Gwil and Ben insisting that they all go to bed early so they won’t be tired for the premiere tomorrow. Rami thinks it’s a good idea, even though it’s not even midnight yet and he doesn’t know if he’ll even be able to sleep with all the nerves he has building up. 

They all say goodnight and go to their separate rooms, and Rami gets the idea that maybe he should talk to Joe tonight. He walks out of his room quietly, not wanting to wake anybody, and walks over to Joe’s room. He knocks, hoping Joe will answer. He waits for a moment, until the door opens, and his eyes widen as he sees that it’s not Joe standing in front of him.

“Rami?” Ben says, with a puzzled look on his face.

“Oh.. is this not Joe’s room?” Rami asks, feeling embarrassed. He was so sure this was Joe’s room.

“No,” Ben shakes his head. “It’s mine. What’s up?” 

“I.. I needed to borrow something from him. Sorry, do you know which room is his?” Rami asks.

“It’s the one across the hall from mine,” Ben says, pointing to the door across from them. “What do you need to borrow? I might have it.” 

“Oh I don’t think you do,” Rami shakes his head. 

“You’re probably right,” Ben smirks, giving Rami a cheeky look, the same one Gwil gave him earlier. “You should go ask him instead. Goodnight, Rami.” 

Rami says goodnight back, as Ben closes the door. He shakes his head at his friends’ sneaky looks, knowing they’re just teasing and want him and Joe to just be happy. He walks over across the hall and is about to knock, when he hears Joe talking to somebody. He knows he isn’t supposed to eavesdrop, but he does, and comes to the conclusion that Joe’s probably FaceTiming with his nieces and nephew who are back in New York. He sighs, knowing he can’t interrupt that, and walks back to his room. He’ll have to do it some other time. 

A few more months pass, and still no luck. Every time Rami tries to bring it up, they’re either interrupted or Joe tries to change the subject. It confuses Rami, because Joe keeps subtly showing signs of liking him, but then gets scared when Rami wants to talk about it. But Rami knows the perfect way to Joe’s heart, and to get him to talk. 

It’s the end of January, and the Santa Barbara Film Festival is coming up. Somebody has to present the award for Outstanding Actor to Rami, and he wants Joe to do it. 

“Me?!” Joe exclaims, when Rami tells him about it. It’s a week before the event, and they’re in LA for award show season. 

“Yeah! Of course. You’re my best friend!” Rami tells him, putting an arm around him.

“That’s a real honor, Rami. Wow,” Joe’s face lights up. “Of course I’ll do it. As long as I can talk about us knowing each other for 12 years.” 

“Of course,” Rami chuckles. “It’s why I picked you Joey!” 

“I’ll try not to let you down,” Joe tells him, pulling him into a hug. “I’m so glad we get to experience this together.” 

“Me too,” Rami says, hugging him back. He thinks he’s gonna tell him now. It’s time he finally does.

“Hey, Joe,” 

“Yeah?” 

Rami pulls away, looking directly into Joe’s eyes. He wants to spill all his fillings, tell Joe that he loves him, and wants them to spend the rest of their lives together.

“I- I love you,” he says.

“I love you too,” Joe nods, smiling at him.

And before he can stop himself, he leans in a bit closer, testing to see if Joe steps back or not. When he doesn’t, Rami just goes for it, and kisses him. It’s short, but it’s something Rami’s been wanting to do for so long, and he hopes Joe gets what he means.

Rami’s surprised that when he starts to pull away, Joe brings him back in for another kiss. Like Joe’s been waiting forever for this too. Like they’re both idiots in love, too scared to talk to each other. Rami’s hand goes up to cup Joe’s cheek, and he tries to deepening the kiss, but that’s when Joe pulls away. 

“I- I’m sorry about that,“ Rami starts to say, stepping back from Joe.

“No don’t be sorry,” Joe shakes his head, a little smirk on his face. “I know you’ve been wanting to do that. So have I.” 

“Oh?” Rami raises an eyebrow. “You knew?” 

“Well I was hoping I wasn’t seeing things wrong,” Joe shrugs. “Was I that obvious too?” 

“A bit,” Rami smiles. 

“I don’t know if this can happen, Rami,” Joe blurts out.

Rami freezes, his eyes widening. “What?” 

“I don’t know if we can happen,” Joe repeats himself.

“Why not?” Rami asks. He was scared this would happen.

“You’re winning an Oscar next month Rami! You deserved better than me,” Joe tells him.

Rami’s heart sinks a little. Is that what it is? Joe doesn’t think he’s good enough?

“What do you mean I deserve better? I want to be with you, Joe, and you want to be with me, don’t we both deserve to be happy?” Rami says. 

“We do. But we’re different people. You’re about to win the most prestigious award in Hollywood, and I’m....” Joe shrugs, not finishing the last part. 

“You think I’m just going to forget about you if I win an Oscar? Is that what you think of me?” Rami asks, a bit annoyed at the implication. 

Joe sighs, shaking his head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying Rami. I just don’t want people to look at you differently because you’re dating me. I don’t want them saying I’m not good enough for you.” 

Rami looks at him for a second, trying to process what he’s saying. It’s a shock really, because Rami doesn’t care what people think of him, not anymore at least. It’s one of the many qualities he’s kept from playing Freddie Mercury. 

“I don’t care what people will say, Joe,” Rami says, walking over to him, putting an arm around his shoulder. “But even if I did, I know that you are good enough.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” Joe mumbles, Rami can barely make out the words. 

“I don’t either. Not again.” Rami tells him. “I love you, Joe. I mean it. You’ll never lose me.”

“Is that why you asked me to present the award to you? So you could finally talk to me about this?” Joe asks, curiously.

“I’d ask you regardless. Because you’re my best friend. No matter what happens,” Rami smiles at him. “Now you have to answer my question.” 

“What is it?” Joe asks. 

“Were you trying to get out of talking to me about this because you thought you weren’t good enough?” Rami asks. 

“Guilty,” Joe rolls his eyes, making Rami chuckle. 

“You are good enough,” Rami tells him again “We can take it slow, if you want. Or we can forget this conversation happened. Whatever you want.” 

Joe thinks for a moment, then nods, looking over at him. “Take it slow. I think I could do that.” 

Rami smiles and pulls Joe in for a hug, squeezing him tightly. “You’re my best friend no matter what, Joe. Don’t forget that.” 

“I won’t” Joe nods, hugging him back. “I love you too. I always have.” 

Rami silently sighs in relief that they were finally able to talk. Things aren’t perfect, and they still have things to talk about, including what they are and what they’re going to be, but Rami’s content with this for now. 

A few days later is the Santa Barbara Music Festival, and Joe of course presents to him the outstanding actor award. Joe’s speech to him makes him tear up a bit, and he hopes Joe appreciates the words Rami says back afterwards. He’s so happy and thankful he’s gotten to experience this all with Joe, he can’t think of anyone else he’d rather do this with.

There’s an afterparty afterwards, where Rami and Joe get a bit too tipsy and touchy with each other. Polly, their movement coach take pictures of them, teasing that she’ll post them online if they don’t. 

They’re taking it slow, which means they aren’t sharing a hotel room, but Joe asks if Rami wants to go to his afterwards, and Rami accepts. They don’t do anything they’d regret in the morning, but they do sit in Joe’s bed, talking about everything that’s happened so far.

“Next up, The Oscars!” Joe exclaims. 

“We’ve got a few more to go until then, Joey,” Rami laughs. 

“And you’ll get them all,” Joe smiles at him. “I’m so proud of you, Rami.” 

“I’m proud of us,” Rami grins.

“I love you so much,” Joe says, pulling Rami towards him and connecting their lips together. They haven’t fully kissed yet, not having the opportunity to have much time for themselves in the past few days, so it’s nice to finally have this time. They kiss for a few moments, getting to know each other in a way they never have before. Rami pulls away first, looking at Joe fondly.

“Joey,” he says.

“Yeah?” Joe smiles. 

“You’re my favorite,” Rami tells him. And he really means it.

Joe looks at Rami bemusedly for a moment, not understanding what he means. “Huh?” 

“You asked me if you were my favorite, remember? And you are. You always are,” Rami reminds him.

Joe’s face shifts to a grin, his face lighting up, when he realizes what Rami’s talking about. He doesn’t say anything, just leans in to give Rami another kiss. And another one. Then he wraps his arms around Rami, pulling him in for a hug. 

Rami hugs him tightly, thinking about how far they’ve come. From The Pacific, to Bohemian Rhapsody, to now. The universe brought them together, he believes it. He knows it. And this time, they’re not letting each other go.


End file.
